Home affairs confident about visa case

Johannesburg - The home affairs ministry expressed confidence on Monday about an appeal by the IFP and Cope regarding the Dalai Lama's visa.

"The ministry... remains confident of the case it has made against arguments brought by counsel for the [parties]," said spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa.

The Congress of the People and the Inkatha Freedom Party have taken the department of home affairs to the Supreme Court of Appeal, contending it acted unconstitutionally and unlawfully by turning down the visa of the Dalai Lama.

The Tibetan spiritual leader cancelled his trip to the country last year after the department allegedly failed to approve his visa in time.

He was supposed to be one of the dignitaries attending the 80th birthday party of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.

During argument on Monday, Appeal Court Judge Robert Nugent asked why a visa application for an international figure could take several months to be processed.

"How many months can people expect to wait?" he asked the department of home affairs' lawyer Marumo Moerane SC during an argument about "unreasonable delay".

Moerane submitted that the department had not deliberately obstructed the visa application.

If the Dalai Lama had not withdrawn his application, it might have been approved, Moerane contended.

Comments

terrylee.heuer - 2012-11-12 22:41

If the Dalai Lama had not withdrawn his application, it might have been approved, Moerane contended....oh my gosh he withdrew his application cause it took so long to be approved!!! he clearly got the message he is not welcome!!!

SharonE - 2012-11-12 23:06

I, as a South African was so ashamed when this happened. What an incredible embarrassment to us all!
Then I read about general Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa who was implicated in the genocide in Rwanda who is in South Africa, with the blessing of Home Affairs - that made my blood boil.
How do you reconcile the actions of Home Affairs relating to these two people??
You can't...

OMG this still going on? Thought this was sorted a million years ago...

piet.pompies.12 - 2012-11-13 07:26

I still don't understand why the Dalai Lama needed a visa. he could have just fly to Zimbabwe and then walk over the border. Way easier in the NRSA. :-)

marilyn.docherty.9 - 2012-11-13 07:40

Visas are handed out without question to our Chinese visitors and Taiwanese Rhino Poachers!!!!!

charmaine.mcdonald2 - 2012-11-13 07:54

With all due respects, which section of the Human Race is he leading? How many Gods does he believe in? What crime has he committed that his visa was refused?

aspruyt - 2012-11-13 09:40

I am confident that home affairs is the most hopeless entity in this country. 2 Years and a mass class act to get my wife's VISA. Now we have been waiting to register our marriage, which documentation was handed in LAST YEAR DECEMBER! We phone and complain and nothing happens month after month. Most useless waste of space low life's in this department.